Writing a book, like so many things in life, is often hardest the first time you try it. Many aspiring author experts work on their unfinished manuscripts--or outlines, ideas, etc.--for years before making a push to actually finish them. I had a client tell me recently that he had been "working" on his book for six years, and it still hadn’t even come close to being finished.

Still, some 2.2 million books were published worldwide in 2010 (the last year for which complete data is available), with around 328,000 of them published in the U.S. and 206,000 in Great Britain, so obviously not all authors are sitting on their hands, so to speak.

Nonfiction authors are leading the way. Why? Books build businesses, reputations, and careers. And, self-published books now outnumber traditionally published books by three to one! The reasons are legion, but suffice it to say that the speed to market, total control, and greater income potential that characterize self-published books are at the top of the list. The downside includes having to oversee the process or hire someone to do it for you. But, but you'll never have to shop your manuscript around, receive rejection letters, hire an agent, or wait for someone else to see the value of what you offer before getting it out to a market of prospective customers eager for your expertise.

But, not every entrepreneur, topic expert, executive, health professional, celebrity has the time, writing skills—or, let's face it, desire--to create a ready-for-press manuscript. What's a person to do? Focus on what you do best and hand off writing about it to someone else. Even if you are perfectly comfortable writing major sections or chapters, you can get support organizing, beefing up, and/or finalizing your manuscript.

Enter the manuscript developer, ghostwriter, creative collaborator. The ideal relationship is flexible enough for you to contribute at whatever level you prefer while you get help with the rest. You can also get help at any point in your process, from book structure, content development, and speaking to your audience demographic, to finding the right voice and tone, and, of course, grammar and editing. If you feel some help along the way will help you get your ideas to market faster and more successfully, find out more about what kind of support could be a good fit for you. Call Susan Kendrick and Graham Van Dixhorn at 715-634-4120, or email info@writetoyourmarket.com about writing a book to build your business.